Bad Boy (An Indecent Proposal) - J.C. Reed Page 0,50

The walls are so thin I swear I’ll be able to hear you take a shower and that’ll drive me crazy if I can’t join you. And why didn’t you choose a hotel that offers certain bedroom services or adult channels?”

I narrowed my eyes on him. “What for? So you can watch porn?”

“I thought you weren’t jealous.”

“I’m not.” I groaned inwardly as heat traveled up my chest and settled in my face. “Like you were saying, the walls are too thin. No one needs to hear your private business while you’re watching that stuff.”

“I thought you might be into watching it together.”

Hell, no.

The only naked booty I wanted Chase to see was mine.

Jealous?

Hell, yeah. I was.

My cheeks flamed up even more.

“Your face says it all. As long as we’re married, I won’t look at any other woman” Chase said, as though reading my thoughts, and inched just a little bit closer. “I can be a patient man, Laurie, though I don’t think I’ll have to wait particularly long until you’re back in my bed. But to ease your worries, and to be absolutely clear, you do not owe me.”

I stared at him, my blood boiling.

Those were the exact words I had told Jude.

“I think I’m going to kill you.” I muttered. “You did not book yourself into the same hotel. Please tell me you didn’t.”

“Why would you make such a statement when you know you’re wrong.” He winked. “In fact, I went to all the trouble to book the room next to yours. I thought it’d save us time.”

“Save us time in what way?”

“The time you waste between getting that booty call and arriving at the designated meeting place. The quicker you’re there, the faster you can get to the fun part.” He laughed out loud, seemingly pleased with his reasoning.

I stared at him, open-mouthed.

His sexy smile curved into a panty-dropping grin. My heartbeat went through the roof.

He was right, of course. If I were to want to pay him a visit in the middle of the night, the location of his room mattered a great deal. However, as much as the idea appealed to me, it wasn’t going to happen.

“Is your brother staying with you?” I turned away from him, changing the subject.

“Of course not.” He sighed. I could feel his gaze on me. “What? You still don’t believe me that I had no idea he was here?”

I rolled my eyes. “No, I don’t. You’re a liar.”

“Only when I have no other choice. Unfortunately, your trust issues are beginning to turn into a problem. I’ll sign us up for therapy as soon as we’re back home.”

What?

“What do we need a therapy for?” I asked.

“We need to build trust if we want to save this relationship.”

This relationship.

“We don’t have a relationship, Chase.” Hopefully, if I said it often enough, my stupid heart would stop skipping beats at every single meaningless word of his.

“On paper, we do.” He grinned. “I’m still your husband, aren’t I? That should count for something.”

“Fake husband,” I stated the obvious.

“No one would agree with you now that we’ve consummated the marriage.” He was smiling, but his tone was serious. I sensed we were entering that gray legal area of his again.

“It was a mistake,” I mumbled.

“I don’t think that’s the way you feel.” His eyebrows shot up. “I think, given the chance, you’d repeat the experience in a heartbeat. You know how I know?”

I knew I should take the bait and yet I couldn’t help myself. “How?”

“You’re wet. A man has his ways of telling.”

“You’re unbelievable and the kind of jerk my mother would have warned me about.” I stared at him as the limo pulled up next to us, his laughter strangely intoxicating. Heat settled between my legs. I pressed them together, realizing that I was wet. Very much so.

“Maybe,” Chase whispered. “But I actually think she would have given you her blessing.”

Chapter 16

Throughout the drive back to the hotel, my mind kept wandering back to his words about my mom and the way he had looked when he spoke them. However, as much as I would have liked to talk about it, we had more pressing issues to attend to.

Such as his split lip and the fact that he had just taken a beating for me.

“Why didn’t you tell your brother that we got married?” I asked back at the hotel.

Chase was sitting on my bed. I was kneeling at his feet, wiping caked blood off his lips. Every touch sent my heart racing.